Contemporary Developments in Psychology

Charles Darwin's theory that organisms evolve over time through natural selection, favoring traits that enhance survival and reproduction.

The idea that humans possess a multitude of innate behaviors, such as certain fears, which contribute to survival.

A field of study that examines how genetic factors influence social behavior and cultural patterns.

The study of how evolutionary processes have shaped the human mind and its cognitive abilities.

The belief that even though our genes influence our behavior, we still have the capacity to make choices and influence our own destinies.

The Chinese Room Argument is devised to challenge the idea that a computer program can truly understand language and exhibit intelligence. It suggests a person inside a room with a set of rules for manipulating symbols can pass the Turing Test (a test of artificial intelligence) without understanding the meaning of those symbols.

The Turing Test, proposed by Alan Turing, is an assessment of artificial intelligence. It aims to determine if a machine can convincingly imitate human conversation to the point it is indistinguishable from a real person.

A set of symbols used in a language. Example: English characters.

Rules that define how symbols are manipulated. A set of instructions.

The capacity to grasp the meaning, understanding, and significance of something.

The ability to think and reason independently.

A process of passing information from one place to another.

The capacity to perform actions or processes.

A school of psychology that focuses on understanding the basic elements of consciousness, using introspection to study how these elements combine. It aims to understand the structure of the mind.

A school of psychology focused on how mental processes function in adapting to the environment. It emphasizes purpose and practicality in studying the mind.

A school of psychology emphasizing that the whole of conscious experience is greater than the sum of its parts, promoting a holistic 'gestalt' view of perception and thinking.

A school of psychology that emphasizes observable behavior and its relationship to environmental stimuli. It rejects the study of mental states and focuses on learning through reinforcement.

A school of psychology focusing on the unconscious mind, early childhood experiences, and the interplay of drives and emotions.

A return to the study of mental processes, focusing on how information is acquired, processed, and used. It emphasizes cognitive processes like attention, memory, and problem solving.

A school of thought in psychology focused on mental processes, such as perception, memory, attention, and thinking.

He challenged behaviorism by highlighting the role of cognitive factors in learning.

A psychologist who studied cognitive development in children.

A famous paper by George Miller, it explores the limitations of our short-term memory.

A research center established to investigate the human mind, challenging behaviorism.

A psychologist who initially accepted behaviorism but later shifted towards cognitive psychology.

A theoretical framework used to understand how information is processed, influenced by computers.

The process of organizing information into meaningful units, increasing short-term memory capacity.

Ulric Neisser (1928-) is an influential cognitive psychologist known for advocating for real-world studies instead of solely relying on lab experiments. He also challenged the traditional view of the mind as a clock and proposed the computer metaphor.

Neisser's 1967 book, Cognitive Psychology, marked a significant shift in the field by emphasizing the importance of mental processes in understanding human behavior.

Neisser's 1976 book, Cognition and Reality, expressed his criticism of relying solely on laboratory experiments and championed studying cognition in real-world settings.

The computer metaphor proposes that the mind can be understood as a complex system capable of processing information much like a computer. It highlights the role of storage (memory), processing (languages), and ongoing development.

The computer metaphor revolutionized the field of cognitive psychology by providing a new framework for understanding human information processing, reasoning, and problem solving.

The development of the first large-scale computer, ENIAC, was spurred by the need for rapid calculations during World War II. Its size and purpose mark the beginning of the computer revolution.

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the development of machines capable of processing information and exhibiting intelligent behavior, similar to human beings.

The Turing Test, named after Alan Turing, measures a machine's ability to display intelligent behavior indistinguishable from a human. It involves a conversation between a human subject and an unseen entity, either a human or a machine, where the subject must determine the entity's true nature.

The theory that suggests people's behavior is influenced by their explanations of events.

A state of discomfort experienced when a person's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors are inconsistent with each other.

The study of how the brain and its functions give rise to mental activity. It aims to connect specific brain regions to specific cognitive processes.

A technique used in cognitive science to analyze introspection reports, making them more objective and amenable to statistical analysis.

A mental process occurring outside of conscious awareness, encompassing functions previously thought to require conscious deliberation.

The process of being influenced by stimuli presented below the level of conscious awareness.

The study of cognitive processes in animals, challenging the notion that cognitive abilities are exclusive to humans.

The idea that cognitive processes are influenced by the body and its environment.

A state where the capacity of the cognitive system is overloaded, impairing the ability to process effectively.